Book 5: Chapter 19 |
Before Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon made his appearance in the meeting room, Elder Yeom from the 4th Young Master’s side was silently observing the crowd with a smoking pipe in her mouth.
“There, I’m all set!”
First, Yeom Baek-ha, clapping her hands and rejoicing alone.
Before the meeting started, she was happily decorating her seat with the things she had brought, all wrapped up.
Various stuffed dolls, spring wildflowers she presumably picked herself, a comb, a mirror, stationery with a girlish air, and so on.
“Ugh, ack?! Co-could someone help me get this off? Hello?”
Yeon Ha-eung, who was fixing his wig with small clips, got them tangled in his hair and was wrestling alone, twisting his body.
His tight-fitting European noble pants were too much to bear looking at.
“…Oh my, my nail broke?”
She immediately rummaged through her bosom, took out a tool, and meticulously tended to her nails.
“…”
At least Se-ah seemed to be organizing her thoughts with her arms crossed, but…
“Snore…”
Looking closely, she was sleeping while snoring.
A week ago, when Elder Yeom first saw this combination of people (now even a courtesan was added!), only one word came to her mind.
A motley crew.
But at this point, among all these people, the one Elder Yeom liked the least was…
“Wow?! Th-that’s a stuffed doll modeled after Big Brother! Lady Yeom! Please sell me that doll!”
The 4th Young Master Yeon-bi, conversing with Yeom Baek-ha.
“Hohoho. We’re currently giving away this doll to those who join our ‘Association of Girls Who Admire the Eldest Young Master’.”
“Th-the application, right now…!”
Yeon-bi, putting on an absurd spectacle with Yeon Ha-eung.
“Hey, wait! Advisor Yeon! You have to stay still for me to untangle this!”
“Ow! It hurts! Ouch!”
“Ah?! I ended up cutting your hair too…”
“A bald spot on my head?!”
And Yeon-bi, teasing the dozing Se-ah.
“Hahaha, Crescent Moon Pavilion Mistress drools while sleeping with a cool expression.”
“…Snore.”
…That person was none other than the 4th Young Master Yeon-bi, a descendant of the Tang Clan whom Elder Yeom was fully supporting.
‘…As they say, those close to ink are stained black.’2
the 4th Young Master seemed happy just to sit right next to the Eldest Young Master, sitting and chattering endlessly with those around him while swinging his legs.
It had been a week since they started meeting.
Now he looked fully like one of the motley crew.
‘Why does that child, who has the qualities and abilities to become the Young Clan Head, only know his big brother…?’
What would those in the 2nd Young Master or Sam Gong-ja’s camp think if they saw this?
She just sighed along with the smoke.
Still, what was better was…
Right then, that person smiled brightly at Elder Yeom and said,
“Elder Yeom. I’ve finished organizing the documents.”
A polite, modest, and elegant woman.
She was Hong Deok-ji-ju, the 4th Young Master’s closest aide.
“…I see.”
With her eyelashes neatly lowered and pretending to be modest, she was so different that one would doubt if she was the same woman seen in the 4th Young Master’s office.
The image of her running amok on the desk, screaming bizarrely, and rolling on the floor like a pig while throwing a tantrum was still vivid.
“Hoho. Shall I pour you a cup of tea first?”
The thick makeup she wore to hide the blemishes reaching down to her chin was flaking off bit by bit whenever she spoke.
“…No.”
Elder Yeom’s wrinkled eyes twitched at that sickening (and in a way, pitiful) image management.
‘Yes. This child has never been normal since long ago…’
Nevertheless, there was one person who stood out even among all these eccentrics.
His actions were always beyond Elder Yeom’s imagination, and she couldn’t even guess what he was thinking.
That person was none other than…
“The Eldest Young Master is entering.”
Everyone rose from their seats.
A figure appeared, his black coat fluttering like a cape.
An appearance that was ambiguous to pinpoint as a pretty boy or a handsome youth.
The owner of a decadent yet simultaneously intense and wild impression.
“Sorry to keep you all waiting.”
Incomprehensible.
Outlandish.
Unfathomable.
What words in the world could describe this person in a few characters?
“Then let’s start the meeting.”
It was the entrance of the Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon.
***
A week ago, when Elder Yeom first met them, she had considered this meeting to be just a gathering of a motley crew.
But it didn’t take long for her to retract her judgment.
The basis for that could be confirmed in this meeting as well.
First, in the case of Yeon Ha-eung.
As always, when his turn to speak came, he stood up from his seat and elegantly bowed to the crowd.
This time, for some reason, it was in European etiquette.
Then, after receiving applause, he sat back down as always.
“…”
It was because he had been banned from speaking at meetings by the Eldest Young Master for being too talkative.
Instead, the rumors he had gathered were first organized and processed by the so-called Triple Maid Sisters into a report format.
Surprisingly, the value of the reports produced based on the rumors Yukgakpungmun had gathered was beyond imagination.
It was enough to surprise even Elder Yeom, who attended the Elder Council meetings where the secrets and confidential matters of the Luoyang Sword House were shared.
“Next, Crescent Moon Pavilion will report.”
Next was Crescent Moon Pavilion Mistress Se-ah.
“As previously reported, our Crescent Moon Pavilion succeeded in secretly abducting three agents from the Daeseon Guild and extracting information from them.”
She continued speaking without hesitation in her characteristically confident manner.
The only flaw was that she didn’t notice the drool stain still on her chin.
“And based on the information extracted from them, we destroyed one of the Daeseon Guild’s secret branches, and in the process, we were able to capture one prisoner and a large amount of coded documents.”
“How did the Daeseon Guild react?”
“No reaction. The secret branch we raided looks like nothing more than the scene of a fire caused by negligence to anyone.”
“Good.”
At her report, Elder Yeom inwardly clicked her tongue.
The Daeseon Guild was the 2nd Young Master’s secret organization (this was also revealed at this meeting).
Abducting members of such an organization and raiding their bases was not something that could be done with just guts.
In the first place, wasn’t this level of operation the job of an intelligence agency, not an informant?
Moreover, the fact that all of this was happening under the 2nd Young Master’s intelligence network was even more astonishing.
“Next, the girl attending on behalf of Elder Yeom Gwak-chu of the main family will report.”
Yeom Baek-ha, who had cleared her throat with an “ahem”, began to speak.
“I analyzed the internal organizational situation of the 2nd Young Master.”
Yeom Baek-ha, who looked much younger than her age due to her illness.
“…It seems the 2nd Young Master’s forces still heavily rely on his in-laws, the Sapae Heavens, and thus…”
Sharp analysis.
Insight to read the state of affairs.
Bold inferential skills based on excellent memory.
Elder Yeom had lost count of how many times she had been surprised by her over the past week.
“…Therefore, in order not to lose any more prestige, the 2nd Young Master will have no choice but to cross the line.”
Yeon So-hyeon’s eyes narrowed.
“Crossing the line?”
After a moment of hesitation, Yeom Baek-ha answered.
“…In carrying out this project, I expect there will be physical clashes with the 2nd Young Master’s side in the future.”
Yeon So-hyeon nodded as if satisfied.
“It was an excellent analysis.”
“Thank you, Eldest Young Master!”
Elder Yeom also nodded.
The conclusion he had reached and Yeom Baek-ha’s conclusion were almost identical.
Elder Yeom couldn’t help but give a wry smile.
At first, he felt like blowing up at the Eldest Young Master for gathering such people for a meeting.
But now?
‘I want to recruit even one of them to our side, no matter what.’
Crescent Moon Pavilion Mistress, who lacked both power and wealth.
The Walking Rumor, who just seemed endlessly frivolous.
The Executioner Princess, who became one at a young age but was too sickly to even come to work every day.
Just how did the Eldest Young Master discover such people?
Could she have found those who were in the mud?
Elder Yeom inwardly pondered deeply.
“Physical clashes…”
The Eldest Young Master put down his teacup and smiled.
“Is there anyone here who fears physical clashes?”
Was there a need to answer?
Everyone smiled at the Eldest Young Master following that question.
Yeom Baek-ha, called the Executioner Princess, who despite her fragile appearance, possessed a surprisingly bold spirit and ambition.
Yeon Ha-eung, who seemed frivolous on the outside but hid ambition and savagery deep inside, and above all, was sharpening a keen blade.
As for Se-ah, who had started alone and reached this position, one could even glimpse an air of welcoming physical clashes.
“The investors are heading here now.”
Yeon So-hyeon rose from his seat and slowly walked.
Elder Yeom’s gaze unconsciously followed him.
Probably thinking that the Eldest Young Master would unveil a scheme she couldn’t even imagine, as always.
But this time too, the Eldest Young Master betrayed her expectations.
“The enemies will surely target them.”
Yeon So-hyeon spun around on the spot and looked at the crowd.
“The enemies will surely target us.”
The black satin coat draped over his shoulders fluttered in tune with him.
“Some may think like this. The enemies will ambush us without us knowing, and the enemies can attack us at any time.”
Yeon So-hyeon’s voice grew louder.
“We have to defend in such difficult circumstances!”
He approached the front of the table.
“But that thought is wrong.”
The Eldest Young Master, who usually had an unreadable expression and silently pressured the crowd, was not there.
He was giving an impassioned speech like a commander encouraging his subordinates before going into battle.
“It’s not a fight where the enemies attack and we defend.”
He moved his gaze, meeting each person’s eyes one by one as he spoke.
“It’s a fight where we attack and the enemies defend!”
He continued his speech without hesitation.
“Aren’t we the ones pushing forward the plan? The ones who have to stop that plan, the ones who have to defend, are not us but them!”
At his words, everyone looked as if they had been hit on the head.
Even Elder Yeom couldn’t hide her wry smile.
That was right.
The combined forces of the Eldest Young Master and the 4th Young Master were just a handful compared to the enemies.
So without realizing it, they had placed themselves in the position of defenders.
“Does everyone understand now?”
Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon smiled at the expressions of the crowd and rather calmly said,
“No matter who comes at us, we will succeed in this plan and push through with this business.”
He slowly raised his fist.
“We will crush and destroy all resistance from the enemies…”
Sparks flew from his eyes.
“And drive our victory into that bastard’s 2nd Young Master’s solar plexus.”
